Paper-folding machine.



J. ZIEGLER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.31, 1906.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

6 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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J. ZIEGLER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. a1, 1906.

1,003,023. Patented Sept. 12,1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wi tmoozo J. ZIEGLER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. a1, 1906.

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Patented Sept. 12, 1911 fi glam Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

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J. ZIEGLER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED DEC. a1. 1906, 1,003,023.

'l I I 1 I J. ZIEGLER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, 1906.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

6 SHEETBSHEET 6.

.m w M w fitter/Mu J. ZIEGLER PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 11.30.31, 1906. 1,003,023. Patented Sept. 12,1911.

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wi/bwaooao "ll'i tir i Zl'fllidlltfi ZI'EGLER, F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ELLIOTT-FISHER @TATES PATENT OFFICE.

GQMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE.

Specification oi' Letters latent. Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

Application filed December 31, 1906. Serial No. 350,175. I

% all whom it may concern: I

it known that l, Joniur Zmonna, a citi en of the United States, residing at irrishurg, in the county of Dauphin and Stat. of lz ennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Paper-Folding Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paper-folding machines of that type in which a long web of paper is continuously fed forward and folded longitudinally in opposite directions along a plurality of longitudinal lines to produce a manifold strip comprising longitudinal sections folded back and forth upon one another in a transversely zig-zag formation,

The object of the invention is to produce simple and eliicient apparatus comprising a folding grid of novel construction operat ing upon a paper strip to fold the latter as oasses from a delivery drum to a receivf. *drnin; to provide a receiving drum and o .iating means therefor so constructed that the folded strip or web will be Wound into approximately diamond-shaped paclta. ivl ch may be readily folded fiat for transportation or caused to assume a substantially square or: rectangular form to facilitate the unwinding thereof when in use.

[ll further oliijcct of the invention is to tension mechanism operating on the paper? s Pp to create suilicient tension upon the latter to cause it to wind comparatively smoothly and evenly upon the receiving drum.

A still. :fnrlher object of the invention is to equip a I *hine of this hharacter with, paper cutting mechanism by means of which the folded strip may be separated after a suite .snt len th of the latter has been wound upon the o2 ving d rum.

Other oliijects subordinate to those enu merated will appear the succeeding description oi" the illustrated embodiment of the invention is developed.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 plan view of the complete machine. hig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the grid with the folded paper strip in ion. Fig. 4; is a sectional View of the end of the table and of the tension haniem, cutter and receiving drum. 1g. 5 a detail perspedtlve view of the 1 upper gmd section detached. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the lower grid section. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of the creasing or fold-compressing devices. ig. 9 is a sec tional view through the delivery drum and its supports. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the same subject-matter. Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14:, and 16 are sectional views on the lines 1111, 12-42, 1a 13, 1444, 15-15 and 16-16 of Fig; 2, showing progressive stages in the folding of the strip as it passes through the grid. Fig. 17 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the folded paper strip. Fig. 18 is a detail sectional view of the receiving drum with a portion of the strip wound thereon. Fig. 19 is a side elevation of the receiving drum showing the means for preventing rotation of the drum core on the shaft. Fig. 20 is a detail perspective View of the drum core, and Fig. 21 is a detail perspective view of the package core or holder. T

Like characters of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. I

1 indicates a support or table having a top 2 terminating short of one end of the table and having its opposite end 3 inclined in a downward direction to'produce an angle or corner 4. Above the table 1 is supported a folding grid 5 adapted toreceive a paper strip or Web from a delivery drum 6 between ivhich, and the adjacent end of the grid, is located a guide roller 7. Beyond the opposite or delivery end of the grid 5 is supported a receiving drum 8 which is operated to draw the paper web through the folding rid from the delivery-drum and to wind it into the form of a package convenient for the subsequent use of the manifold strip thus produced. To insure sulficient tension on the pa er strip a for the proper Winding thereof on the receiving drum, tension mechanism in the form of a tension spring 9 is arranged to bear upon the strip at a point adjacent to the delivery end of the table. The tension mechanism is particularly necessary when the paper is comparatively thin and is therefore not subjected to an considerable tension by its passage throng the grid. Betwcenthe tension mechanism and the receiving drum -8 is located paper cutting mechanism 10 by means of which the folded web or strip is severed when a sufficient length thereof has been wound upon the drum. Each of these devices ormechanisms will nowv be considered n vdetall.

The delivery drum (3 comprises a shaft 6;

to the outer ends of the core elementsare' heads 6* retained in place by set collars 6 and adapted to confine the opposite ends of the paper roll. This arrangement permits.

one of the heads to be readily removed from the shaft to facilitate the loading of the drum with the paper roll, after which the head is again secured in place. The rollers 2 6 afi'ord anti-frictional bearings for the drum and the adjustment of the brackets 6 longitudinally of the table, permits the drumtobe shifted slightly forward-or back. As clearly shown'in Fig. 1 of the drawings,

the mounting of the guide roller 7 is identical with that of the drum 6 and therefore need not be described meant. The paper folding grid 5 Which isthe primary element of the apparatus, comprises upper and lower grid sections 5" and 5. The sections may be and preferably are formed of sheet metal and the section 5' has its front end disposed horizontally and its rear end' vertically, as shown in Fig. 5. It is constructed from a comparatively wide sheet of metal which is 'bent fo otherwise'formedto produce a central bottoni Wall 5 which tapers toward the rear end. of the grid. From one edge of this horizontal bottom wall 5" rises a 'vertical' 40 ,wall 5 which diminishes inlheight 0r tapers -'--toward the frontrend of the'grid. section. A side Wall-5 extends from the upper edge of theccntrali wall 5 and fis 'tgradually twisted" from a' horizontal positioi at its front end to a vertical position at its rear end. A somewhat similar sidewal 5 extends from one edge of the horizonta :bottom wall '5, and, like the wall 5 is twisted to present its front end in a horizontal plane and its rear end in a vertical plane. The lower grid section 5 is formed like the section 5", and

comprises a bottom Wall 5 a central vertical Wall '5, and side walls 5 and 5", formed like the correspondmg. walls. of the upper gridsection, see Figs. (3 and 11. The lower grid section. 5 is provided at its opposite ends with lateral tabs 5. carrying vertical studs 5" which engage apertured tabs 5" a projecting from the upper grid section 5 to maintain the upper and lower grid sections in proper relative positions. As the paper web passes between the grid sections, it is gradually folded into the form of a mani fold strip, which, by reason of the vertical .65 disposition of the rear end of the grid front end of the proper, disposes 1t substantially,vertical or .edgewise to the table as'it issues from between the sections 5 and 5 seefor instahce Fig. 13. manifold strip to a horizontal position and to incidentally complete the folding for the purpose of bringing the sections or layers of the stri into close conti nit so that as the strip passes on over the table-to the teat.

sion, cutting and storing mechanisms,it'will lie flat and closely folded. To attain this-L end, a grid extension 5 is disposed innnediately in rear of the sections 5 and 5-.

The grid extension is, or may be, merely-a strip of sheet metal folded longitudinally to produce opposed walls 5 and 5" and twisted to present'its opposite ends in right angularly related planes, the front end of the extension-beingdisposed vertically and the rear end horizontally, asclearly' shown in Fig.6; As the paper strip a passes from between the grid sections 5 and 5", the lower fold a, the middle section or layer 11 and one side section a of the manifold strip are received between the walls 5 and 5 of the grid extension 5, while the upper edge of the wall 5 is received within thefupper fold a? with the other side section-a of the strip opposed to the outer side of the wall 5 Thus, as the strip is drawn through the grid extension, its sections are drawn close together, and it is turned from a vertical to a horizontal position, passing finally from the grid extension in substantially the form indicated in Fig. 3.

In order to compress or sharpen the opposite folds of the strip as the latter passes to the grid extension, oppositely d isposcd fold compressing devices 11 and 12 are disposed to engage the upper and lower. or opposite folds a and a. of the paper llti trip, at the extension 5, "see Fig. 13. The device 11 comprises a pair of diverging leaves 11 and 11. straddling the upper edge of the wall' 5 and having their front edges bent outwardly to form a flared guide for the paper fold. This device may he meant ed in anyetfectivenianner, bat is prefer- It is now desired to turn the.

ably carried at theout'er end of a horizontal I arm 13 pivoted upon a standard 14 rising from thetable. As the upper fold of the "paper.passcsthrough the fold compressing device 11' it is drawn close around the upper edge of the Wall 5 with sufiicient pressure to cause a distinct creasing of the paper along the lincof' the fold so as to minimize any tendency to. unevenness or irregularity of the line of the fold. The fold compressing or creasing device 12 is similar to the device 11, except that it does not straddle the wall of the grid extension, but is arranged to have its diverging leaves fitted into corresponding openings 15 in the-walls 5 and 5, see Figs. 6 and 13.- The space between the diverging ioavesof the device 12 forms a somewhat constricted. passage through which the lower fold a" of the paper passes and Within which the fold is compressed in a manner to insure a closely folded fiat formation of the manifold strip. The device 12 also dilfers from the device '11 in the manner of its mounting, being extended upwardly through an opening in the table, as shown in Fig.- 13, and secured by bolts or other suitable means 16 below the table top. The manifold strip, now lying flat upon the table. passes forward to the inclined end 3 of the table, being incidentally drawn over the corner 4; which causes the further compression of its folds and insures a flat even juxtaposition of its layers or sections. lVhen drawn over the inclined end portion 3 of the table, the manifold strip passes between a pair of guide blocks 17 which support the opposite ends of a bar 18 on which the tension spring 9 is mounted to hear at its free end upon the manifold strip.

I Immediately beyond the tension spring the cutter 10 is disposed, as heretofore I stated, saidcutter being in the form of a 7 blade mounted to swing from one end and manipulated by a handle located at its opposite end. Normally the cutter 10 is held in an elevated position by a spring 19 to permit the free advance of the paper and is adapted to be swung down against the resistance of the spring to sever the paper when a sullicient quantity of the latter has been wound upon the receiving drum 8.

The receiving drum 8 comprises a pair of circular heads 20 and an intermediate transversely diamond shaped core 21 all mounted upon one end of a shaft 22 journaled in suitable bearings at the end of the table, as shown in Fig. 1, and driven by power applied thereto in any suitable manner and from any desired source, as for instance by a pulley 23 operated by a motordriven belt 24:. The heads 20 are retained onthe shaft by set screws 2.) and the core 21 is held against rotation relative to the heads by a latch 26 pivotally mounted upon the outer side of one of the heads 20 and engaging a stud 27 extended through the head from the drum, see Figs. 18, 19 and 20. in practice, a foldahle paper holder 28 is placed upon the core 21, said holder being capable of conforming to the diamond shape of the core during the Winding of the manifold strip thereon. At one side.of the holder 28 is formed a clip 29 by means of which the end of the strip is attached to the holder on the core It will now be seen that as the receivin drum is rotated, the manifold strip will lie drawn' from the delivering drum 6 and over the; guide roller 7, thence through the grid proper, where it is folded longitudinally and delivered to the fold compressing or creasing do;

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vices and to the grid extension. As the paper is drawn through the grid extension it is turned down to a flat position upon the table and passed thence under the tension spring and cutter to the receiving drum, upon which it wound. If the paper is of light weight and highly flexible, so that the tension produced by its frictional passage through the grid is insuthcient to insure the close winding of the paper on the drum. the tension spring; will present suiiicient frictional. resistance to the forward movement of the paper to cause the latter to be drawn tightly around the receiving drum as the latter rotates. When a sullicient length of paper has been wound on the drum the cutter 10 is swung down and the paper severed. The outer head 20 of the drum 8 is then removed, and the paper holder 28 with the manifold strip Wound thereon, is slipped from the core. By reason of the foldable character of the holder the package formed by the holder and the paper Wound thereon maybe pressed flat to facilitate transportation. When itis-desircd to use the manifold strip stored on the holder, the latter may be pressed into a rectangular form so as to constitute in effect a hollow druzn adapted to be placed upon a reel or the like to fac litate the unwinding of the stored paper strip.

It is thought that from the foregoing, the construction and operation of this paper folding machine will he cicarly comprehended; but, while the illustratedconstrue tion is thought at this time to be pro fer-able, 1 wish to reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications and -\'ariations thereof as may come fairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a paper folding machine, the combination with delivering and receiving mechanisms for a. paper strip, of an intermediate grid arranged to fold the sheet in. opposite directions along longitudinal lines, the rear end of the grid being disposed vertically, and means located'heyond the rear end of the grid for turning the folded strip to a horizontal position.

2. In a paper folding machine, the"com-- bination with a paper folding grid having its front end dis osed horizontally and its rear end disposer vertically, of a grid ontension having its front end disposed vertical'ly and its rear end horizontally, Wl'ierehy a paper strip fed to the girl in horizontal position is folded alone ongitudinal lines and 'disohargedfrom tie rearend of the grid in vertical position and is subsequently turned again to a lidrizontal position.

3. In a paper folding machine, the coin- -bination with horizontal paper deliverine and receiving devices, of an. interm ed' te folding grid, and a grid extension arranged to receive the folded strip from the grid and having its opposite ends disposed in right angular relation. 1

4. In a paper folding machine, a grid having upper and lower members each formed with a rearwardly tapering bottomwall, a forwardly tapering central vertical wall rising from one edge of the bottom Wall, and rearwardly converging side walls having their front ends substantially horizontal and their rear ends substantially vertical.

5. In a paper folding machine, a folding w'alhand the other-of said side Walls extend- .ing from the upper edge of the central vertical wall.

6. Ina paper folding machine, the combination with a paper folding grid comprising upper and lower sections each having a rearward tapered bottom wall, a forwardly tapered central vertical wall, and rearwardly converging side walls, said'side walls having their front ends disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and their rear ends in substantially vertical planes, 0f a 'grid extension comprising walls having their front ends disposed vertically and their rear ends horizontally, whereby a horizontal paper strip may be folded along longitudinal lines to produce a vertically disposed manifold strip which is subsequently turned to a horizontal position. 'l-.7i"ln apaper folding machine, the combin-ation with paper-delivering and receiving devices,'o'f intermediate paper folding nn'clianisni, and a support for the paper str p, the rear end of said support being dispcscd at an angle to produce a cor ner around which a folded paper strip is drawn by the paper receiving device to sharpen the folds in the paper. p

.8. In a paper/foldingmachine, the combinz'rtionwith a folding grid arranged to fold a strip of paper along longitudinal lines to produce oppositely disposed longitudinal folds, of separate and lndependent fold compressing devices located at the discharge end of the rid in position to compress the opposite folds respectively of the paper strip.

9. In a paper folding machine, the combinationwith, afolding grid arranged to fold a paper strip along longitudinal lines to produce opposite longitudinal folds in said strip, of a grid extension arranged to turn the strip thus folded to a plane substantially at right angles to the plane in which the strip emerges from the grid.

'10. a paper folding machine, the combination with a folding grid arranged to fold a paper strip along longitudinal lines to produce opposite longitudinal folds in saidstrip, of a grid extension arranged to turn the strip thus folded to a plane substantially-at right angles to the plane in which the strip emerges from the grid, and foldcompressing means associated with the grid extension.

11. In a paper folding machine, the combination with a folding grid arranged to fold a strip along longitudinallines to produce oppositely disposed folds, of a grid folded to aditterent plane from the plane in which the strip emerges from the grid, and oppositely disposed fold-compressing devices associated with the grid extension.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my'own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

J ORAM ZIEGLER Witnesses:

P. 'H. TRULEY, R. 0. SMITH.

extension arranged to turn the strip thus 

